Klobuchar to hold panel on online aggression

On Thursday, Oct. 21, Senator Amy Klobuchar will visit Augsburg’s campus to participate in a panel discussion on “online aggression.” The Senator is interested in gathering feedback from those who have dealt with issues such as online bullying, stalking, harassment, or predatory behavior.

With October designated as both National Cyber Security Awareness Month and National Bullying Prevention Month, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is convening a public forum at Augsburg College on “Protecting Children and Youth in an Online World.”

Klobuchar serves on the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over telecommunications issues. This past summer, she urged Facebook to create a “panic button” application on their website to help protect children from cyber-harassment and allow them to report instances of cyber-abuse.

Klobuchar is also Senate author of the “STALKERS Act,” bipartisan legislation to strengthen and update federal anti-stalking laws to protect victims and provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to address the new challenges of cyberstalking.

The panel will be moderated by Kristen Chamberlain, associate professor of Communication Studies, Augsburg College. In addition to Senator Klobuchar, the panel will include:

Lynn Miland, of Northfield, the parent of a child who was cyberbullied

Nicole Jackson Colaco, public policy manager, Facebook

Shayla Thiel Stern, assistant professor, University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and author of Instant Identity: Adolescent Girls and the World of Instant Messaging